


Whipped Up Love

by sonhyejoo



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, ill add more characters to the tags as i add them in via appearance (not being mentioned) so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-15 06:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10551956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonhyejoo/pseuds/sonhyejoo
Summary: Being a barista for over 4 years at the local Scranton Starbucks, Pam Beesly found herself in a repeated cycle of boring old daily routines full of irritable co-workers, rude customers, and occasionally the once-in-a-while polite customers. However, when one particular customer walks in, she finds that her mundane life may finally get a spark of liveliness.





	1. The Barista and the Paper Salesman Meet

**Author's Note:**

> ahh, i haven't written anything in such a long time?! in about a year... this'll probably suck and be crappy, but i love jam a lot, and i'm a sucker for coffee shop aus so... thus this fanfic was born. it'll feature some cameos from other Beloved characters too so dw about that. i wanted to make it a bit long, so there'll be at most 4 - 5 chapters? depending on how many ideas i have for this... i'll be slow with updates because of school and stuff so!!! also, please ignore the fact i coincidentally quoted the name of a high school musical song at the end, i LITERALLY WAS NOT THINKING DJFFJHKDD... ANYWAYS, enjoy!

Pam had been working at the local Starbucks in Scranton for around 4 years now. She didn’t love it per se, but she had to do what she needed to make a living. Her co-workers were altogether annoying, specifically Kelly and Ryan, who flirted constantly and were engaged in endless PDA _literally_ every single day. Another downfall of her job was the repugnant, immature customers who would come in and hit on her, talking about how “sexy and attractive” she was. However, she did usually get a sympathetic and whole-hearted customer talking to her and complimenting her service, so that took away from the dreadful, shitty atmosphere. 

“Well, look who _finally_ arrived,” Kelly commented snarkily as Pam clocked in for work at twelve in the afternoon. It was a Monday and business was slow, so she figured it didn’t matter anyways.

“Shut it, Kelly. I already told you I’d be coming in late. And if I recall, you said it was fine as long as I closed tonight,” Pam growled as she rolled her eyes.

“Oh, yeah, I guess I did... Anyways, girl, I got shit to do so if you need me I’ll be in the back,” Kelly replied as she waved Pam goodbye.

Pam made her way out to the front. She sighed as she leaned over the counter, looking out into the lobby, disinterested in everything. The next few hours passed slowly, customers came in and left, a repeated and steady cycle of Pam’s typical, boring day as a barista. But, when five o’clock rolled around, she had quite a change in her daily work day.

The door opened, the small bell connected giving off its’ lusty ring, and a guy with somewhat shaggy hair dressed in a typical business-y work outfit with a bag slung across his shoulder entered. Pam watched the man as he walked right up to the counter and leaned over it, right in front of her. Embarrassed, she quickly turned away, her back facing him. 

“So, I’m guessing you’re the one I talk to about ordering something, then?”

Pam let out a shrill, small yelp and she hastily turned around, her face as red as a tomato. 

“A-ah, yes! Sorry, I got kind of… distracted,” she told the customer as she scratched her head. 

The fellow laughed and grinned. “So, I’m assuming your name is Pamela?” He asked, pointing to her name tag. 

“Y-yeah… um, Pamela Beesly. But you can just call me Pam,” she informed as she smiled at him.

“Awesome. Well, my name’s Jim Halpert, so feel free to call me Jim.”

The two laughed together, and Pam felt a feeling of joy wash over her. Pam never had any conversations with customers like this before, so this small moment made her quite ecstatic. 

“Anyways,” Jim said as he began to stand up straight, “I’ll just take a regular, old coffee.” Jim took out his wallet and laid his payment on the counter top, shooting Pam another friendly grin and he walked over to one of the tables in the lobby to sit down and wait. 

Pam turned away, and she felt her face burn a little as she flustered over Jim. She didn’t know why she felt such an odd infatuation, but she loved how kind and affable he was to her even though they had never met before. And just in time to ruin her moment, Kelly was making her way up to the front. 

“Pam, your face looks like you just got sunburnt,” Kelly said as she stood next to Pam, crossing her arms.

Pam looked over at Kelly and scowled.

“S-shut up,” she stuttered as she began to make Jim’s coffee. “Don’t you have to go do your nasty PDA routine with Ryan?”

“Not today. Ryan’s on vacation today for some family thing, apparently,” Kelly informed Pam. “Anyways, _why_ are you so-” Kelly broke off mid-sentence, as she peered out into the lobby, empty except for Jim, who was absorbed into his phone.

“ _Oh_. I see now.” Kelly squinted and smirked. “So, you like that guy, huh? I could try to set you up with him.”

Pam rolled her eyes and ignored Kelly’s comments. She didn’t want to force him to go out with her, not like she ever would. They had literally just met, and if anything she would want to get more close with him before dating. And it’s not like he’d be interested in such a lame, nerdy girl like her, anyways. She dropped out of college because she was having a hard time with it, plus her chosen university didn’t have a good art program. In addition, all she did was work full-time as a barista, and do her own art in the free time she had. No one would want to be with a lameass like that. Or at least, that’s what Pam thought.

* * *

  
Pam walked over to the table where Jim sat and she set down his coffee in front of him, his name scribbled on the container in pink sharpie. Jim put down his phone and he pointed at the chair on the other side. Pam tilted her head, confused. Jim chuckled and pointed again. “I’m inviting you to sit down with me,” Jim said. 

Pam blinked a few times before processing his invitation. She then nodded, and sat down across from him. She sighed when she took a seat, and then giggled. “Sorry, I’m not really the best at understanding certain things,” she disclosed as she looked down at the floor.

“So, how long have you been working here?” Jim asked as he took a sip of his coffee. 

Pam positioned herself so she was sitting properly and she laid one arm on the table. “For around 4 years now. It wasn’t my first choice, especially to still be living in Scranton, but hey, what can you do?” 

Jim nodded his head in agreement and sat up straight. “At least you don’t work where I am. Being a paper salesman is _literally_ no one’s dream, and I’ve been doing it for almost 10 years,” he told Pam as he fiddled with his tie. 

“Oh, you’re a paper salesman?” She asked curiously.

“Yeah. I work at this mid-sized paper company called Dunder-Mifflin. It’s kind of a drag, but I’m a pretty decent worker,” Jim said as he crossed his arms, gazing across the table at Pam. “Y’know, you’re really easy to talk to. Oh, and I hope this doesn’t sound weird or anything, but you’re _really_ pretty too.”

Pam’s eyes widened and she covered her face swiftly with her hands, hiding her bright red face from Jim. Seeing her reaction, Jim himself blushed a bit himself and he panicked slightly, fearing he had made her uncomfortable.

“P-Pam, you okay?” He asked, a worried look on his face.

Pam shook her head and she focused back on Jim. She grinned and giggled nervously. She took a small part of her hair around her fingers and twirled it shyly. 

“S-sorry,” she began, “I’m not used to anyone giving me a genuine compliment.” She bit her lip and frowned a bit. “Most guys just comment about how ‘sexy’ I am and make rude remarks towards me when I say something back in my defense. It really sucks, and I hate the type of guys who can only comment about a girl's body and nothing else.”Pam groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Jim frowned and put a hand on his chin, thinking. He felt bad about Pam’s experiences, and he wished he knew her better to cheer her up. Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.

“Are you free tonight?”

Pam’s head shot up and her expression turned into a mixture of shock and confusion. “Uh, I have to close tonight, but I’ll be done by ten, so… yeah?”

Jim shuffled through his bag, pulled out a post-it note and a pen, and started to write. Pam watched him carefully as he scribbled out what seemed to be a phone number and possibly an address. When he finished, he slid the note over to Pam. Pam picked it up and read the writing. It was, in fact, Jim’s number and his home address. She laid the note back down on the table and gave him a hearty smile.

“ _That_ is for when you get off work,” Jim said as he winked at Pam and gave her a thumbs up. 

For about another hour, the two sat together, talking about various things, and generally getting along well. Pam was very, _very_ enthusiastic to be able to find someone she clicked incredibly well with, and deep down in her heart, she felt that this may be the start of something new.


	2. The Barista and the Paper Salesman Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pam and Jim spend the night together hanging out. The next day, Pam runs late to work due to oversleeping at Jim’s. Ryan returns back from his so-called “vacation”, and Pam is anything but happy. In addition, the manager of Scranton Starbucks makes her return. Jim watches Pam and how she interacts in her work environment, making him fall for her even more.

When Pam finally got off work and arrived at her apartment, she pulled out the note with Jim’s number and address on it. She stared at it for a minute, afraid to call him. She didn’t want to bother him even though he had basically given her an invitation over to his place. Pam shook off her dreadful feeling and dialed his number. The phone rang for a few seconds, then he picked up.

“Hello?” Jim answered on the other side.

“Jim?”

“Oh, Pam! Hey, what’s up?” Jim greeted.

Pam hesitated to reply, but she forced herself to talk. “Um, I’m off work now… so…”

“Oh, awesome! So, you still have that note with my address, right?”

Pam looked at the note in her hand, reading his address over and over again. “Y-yes,” she replied. 

“Alright. So, you wanna head over to my place now? I mean, only if you want to,” he said in a quite sympathetic and sweet tone, making Pam blush. 

“Sure, um… I’ll see you then.”

On the other side of the line, Jim laughed with joy. “Cool, I’ll see you in a few then.”

Pam hung up, and all of a sudden any traces of her nervousness, fear, and distress went away. An enormous grin was on her face, and her eyes were sparkling with glee. She jumped in the air and did a little fist pump, landing on her bed. She held her phone to her chest, and she laid on her back, staring at the ceiling with delight. Pam hadn’t hung out with a guy in ages, especially after her breakup with her ex-boyfriend Roy which was about four months ago. She had a sliver of confidence with romance after they cut it off, which was why she was so awkward that afternoon earlier around Jim. Aside from that, Pam wasn’t that great with understanding or picking up on anything, whether it be social or romantic. She did, however, feel there was a possibility for something between her and Jim, so all she could do was pray and wish for the best.

* * *

Pam was standing at Jim’s door, a bit frightened to ring the doorbell to his house. She had parked in his driveway, hoping it wouldn’t be a problem, not to mention her parking was quite awful and it looked like it was done by a two-year-old child. In addition, she felt she was dressed to the point she looked like a slob, donning a pair of gray sweatpants, a mint-colored sweater, her tan boots, and her simplistic navy blue winter coat, all fancied off with her hair slightly curled and loose. In Pam’s head, she believed it looked like a mess. 

Pam ignored her nervousness, and she rung the doorbell. It took less than a minute for Jim to answer and open the door. 

“Well, if it isn’t Miss Beesly,” Jim joked as he stood at the door smiling.

Pam grinned and waved to him. “Hey, Mister Halpert,” she teased back. Jim gazed outside, looking at his driveway and noticed Pam’s parking. 

“ _Wow_ ,” he commented.

“Yeah, I’m kind of shitty with parking at night,” Pam advised Jim as she scratched her head.

“Nah, it’s cool, I’ve got similar issues,” he reassured Pam. “Anyways, come on in, it’s way too cold outside.”

Pam followed Jim’s invite and she stepped inside, closing the door behind her. His house wasn’t anything fancy, but it was just the perfect kind of simplistic style that Pam favored.

“You’re really rocking the casual look,” Jim pointed out as Pam hung up her coat on the coat hanger by his door. 

Pam blushed a little and she giggled. “Yeah, I guess I just wanted to wear something comfortable.” Pam looked over at Jim and commented on his attire as well. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Jim was wearing a plain pair of jeans and a plain gray ringer t-shirt. It was simple, but Pam thought it suited him well. 

“Ah, thanks. Well, you wanna do something? Maybe watch a movie or something?” Jim asked.

Pam nodded and smiled. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Jim lead Pam into the living room, and the two sat down on the couch, Jim turning on the TV. As the night went on, they watched whatever movies came on HBO, and sat together having a peaceful and fun night. Possibly the best night of Pam’s life.

* * *

It was about one in the morning, and Pam was crashed on Jim’s couch. Jim had gone to bed in his room about two hours earlier, Pam offering to sleep on his couch until she had to leave in the morning. Jim had just woken up, and he went out to the living room to check on Pam. Her right arm and leg hung off the side, and she was laying on her stomach, sleeping peacefully. When he saw her sleeping peacefully in such an uncomforting position, he took a blanket and laid it over her gently, smiling.

Jim was in a predicament. He had just met Pam that day, but he felt he was already having feelings for her. He tried not to fret over it, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Pam was maybe feeling the same towards him. Little did Jim know that was _definitely_ the case.

* * *

Pam arrived at work around twelve again, except this time she really _was_ running late. After she parked her car, she dashed into the Starbucks building, slamming the back door open and throwing her coat sloppily onto the coat rack. She quickly clocked in, and let out a relieved sigh. Her moment of relief faded fast, however. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ryan near the front, along with Kelly.

 _Oh, good God_ , Pam thought. _Just another wonderful thing to make my morning worse._

To her misfortune, Ryan saw Pam in the back, and he began to walk over to her, Kelly following behind.

“God _damnit_ ,” Pam muttered as Ryan approached her.

Ryan punched Pam on her arm lightly and grinned. “Pam, I haven’t seen you in _ages_! How’ve you been?”

Pam forced a fake smile and waved at him. “Hi, Ryan. I’m fine.”

Kelly scoffed and Pam frowned. Pam tilted her head and put a hand on her hip. “ _Excuse me_? Do you want to say something Kelly?” 

Kelly snickered and she put a hand on her chin. “Um, well, you forgot to mention about that guy you were talking with yesterday for, like, 4 hours,” Kelly informed. “It’s _so_ obvious you guys hooked up.”

Pam balled up her fists, and she felt her face turn bright red as she became angry… _and quite embarrassed_. 

Kelly snickered at Pam’s reaction, Ryan doing the same. “Wow, Pam. I thought you were taking a break from dating and… stuff ever since you and Roy split,” Ryan said as him and Kelly exchanged glances.

“ _Both_ of you need to shut up and just go make out or something instead of picking on me. You’re both assholes.” 

Pam marched up to the front counter, pushing the pair out of her way without a care. She hated both of her fellow baristas, and she wished to _God_ someone tolerable would get hired as soon as possible so she at least had someone else who wasn't like Kelly and Ryan.

In the meantime, hours passed, and everything was how it normally played out until five. Customer after customer, Pam realized she missed Jim, and it hadn't even been a full day since they first met. Pam continued to do what she needed to get time to pass by faster so she could see Jim again.

* * *

And just as she had been waiting for, five o’clock rolled right around the corner. Jim strolled on in and walked up to visit Pam at the counter. 

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite barista,” Jim greeted as he leaned over the counter. “Did you sleep well?”

Pam scratched her head and let out an awkward chuckle. “Sorry for crashing at your place like that. I guess I was more tired than I realized,” she informed.

Jim laughed and he got out some money and slid it over to Pam. “I’ll take the usual,” he told Pam. 

“Gotcha,” she replied.

* * *

After Pam brought Jim his coffee, the two sat together again, talking for quite a while. They discussed things like their dreams, ideas, and thoughts on certain subjects. An hour passed by, and it was six o’clock. Business began to pick up in the shop, but Pam was too absorbed into her conversation with Jim to care. Little did Pam realize that today her manager was making her return after a rather long leave of absence.

“...and you know what else is funny?” Pam asked Jim as she fiddled with her name tag.

“What?” Jim responded curiously.

“She once even threatened to fire me all because of _that_!”

While Pam went on ranting about her main manager at the shop, Jim watched as the said manager approached behind Pam. Jim stared at the older dirty blonde woman, who had her arms crossed, staring right at Pam with a frown.

“Um, Pam,” Jim began as he pointed behind her.

“What?” Pam questioned as she gave Jim a confused look. She began to turn around, following his signal. “Jim, wh- _Oh_.”

Pam was face to face with her manager, Jan Levinson, who seemed anything _but_ happy. 

“J-Jan!” Pam shouted as she shot up from her chair and stood in a soldier-like stance in front of Jan. “I-I didn’t know you were going to be in today! I thought you were still on your leave of absence...”

Jan groaned in frustration and gave Pam a cold stare. “Pamela, you know the rules about conversing with our patrons. I expected you to be a better and productive employee when I returned, but nothing has changed, it seems. I guess making Kelly acting manager on my leave wasn't the _best_ idea either... Anyways, Pamela, you better get back to work _now_.” 

Pam shuddered at Jan’s words, and she nodded with a frightened grin in response. “Y-yes, I’ll get back to work right away!” Pam yelled.

Jan then left and headed to the back, without saying another word. Pam turned to Jim and she shrugged her shoulders, giggling. “Sorry, Jim, I didn’t think she’d _actually_ come in today. She’s literally been gone for over 3 months and claims it was for some business thing. Who does that? _Who_!?”

Jim grinned and shrugged back at her. “Hey, it happens. You know, I could stay here until you get off work. If anything, I’ll just chill right in this _exact_ spot.”

Pam’s eyes lit up, gleaming with happiness. She paced over to Jim and hugged him tightly. Jim blushed slightly and Pam let go of him and skipped back over behind the counter. She waved over at Jim from afar and mouthed “thank you” to him. As business picked up and the shop became busier, Jim kept his word and stayed, watching Pam put her all into working hard. He admired her friendliness and enthusiasm when she would talk to customers, wishing he could be exactly like her.

* * *

Pam was able to leave work near ten again. It seemed to be pretty dead by then besides Kelly and Ryan who were still on the clock, along with Jan who was too busy looking through her phone. Jim was still out in the lobby patiently waiting for her, just as he promised. As soon as she clocked out, she grabbed her coat and ran over to Jim.

“Hey, thank you _so_ much for waiting. You know you really didn’t have to,” she informed him as Jim gathered his things up. 

“Nah, it’s no problem. I’m not really busy during the day after work, and it was fun seeing how you do your job,” he reassured her as the two began to walk out and head to the parking lot. 

“Fun? _Really_?” She asked as they headed out into the cold. 

Jim nodded and gazed over at Pam. “I think you’re a great worker. You’re kind, and you seem to be a positive influence to others.”

Pam blushed and shyly smiled. “Well… t-thanks, I try my best.”

The two chatted a bit more until they arrived at Jim’s car.

“Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow then?” Pam asked as they stood in the freezing, snowy weather. 

“You know it, Beesly,” Jim said as he gave her a thumbs up. 

The two hugged each other and said goodbye as they departed. And from that moment onwards, Pam was going to have the best year of her life with a newly acquired friend, and possibly something more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope that was good? i'm kinda writing like 2 - 3 chapters in a day then uploading individually slowly after revision... also, these newer ones are gonna be a bit longer/more lengthy so!!! psa: i might not update a whole lot these next few weeks, school and real life in general is really making my own mental health plunder more and i can barely do anything lately, aha. anyways, i'm sure y'all just wanna see these two get together already, but do not fret anymore. next update... you might just get what you wish for. ;D


End file.
